In a dominant performance at the Clontarf Cricket Club in Dublin Pakistan Vs Ireland T20I, Pakistan secured a resounding seven-wicket victory over Ireland in the second T20I match.
The Men in Green showcased their prowess by successfully chasing down the target in just the 17th over, propelled by stellar performances from Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, and Azam Khan. With this win, Pakistan has leveled the three-match series 1-1.
Despite facing initial setbacks with the dismissals of Saim Ayub (6) and skipper Babar Azam (0), Pakistan rallied strongly as Rizwan and Fakhar forged an impressive partnership. Their monumental 140-run stand, marking Pakistan’s highest for the 3rd wicket in T20Is, surpassed the previous record of 105.
Rizwan’s unbeaten 75 off 46 deliveries, embellished with six fours and four sixes, combined with Fakhar’s blistering 78 off 40 balls, adorned with six boundaries and an equal number of maximums, propelled Pakistan towards victory. Wicketkeeper-batsman Azam Khan also contributed significantly with a quickfire 30 off 10 balls.
Earlier in the match, Ireland set a challenging target of 193/7 after being put into bat by Pakistan. Despite a strong start by Shaheen Afridi, who claimed the wickets of Paul Stirling (16) and Andy Balbirnie (11), Ireland managed to post their highest-ever total at the Clontarf Cricket Club, largely thanks to commendable performances by Harry Tector (51 off 34 balls) and Lorcan Tucker (32 off 28 balls).
Shaheen Afridi led Pakistan’s bowling attack with three wickets, albeit conceding 49 runs, while Mohammad Amir, making his first appearance in the series, secured 1/44. Abbas Afridi and Naseem Shah also made notable contributions with two and one wicket respectively.
Last match of series (3rd Match) to be held at the same venue on May 14.
Playing XIs:
Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Imad Wasim, Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah, Abbas Afridi, Mohammad Amir
Ireland: Paul Stirling (c), Mark Adair, Andrew Balbirnie, Curtis Campher, Gareth Delany, George Dockrell, Graham Hume, Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker (wk), Ben White, Craig Young
